It Started When I Was 4
by BethMiddleton2
Summary: Pepper has to tell someone what happend so she tells the only person she knows will listen. He can't belive someone would hurt her (don't know what the ratings mean)


Summary;Pepper opens up to Tony the only way se knoes how to. He is schocked and upset to see that his Pepper has been treated like that.

It was her, it had always beem her. No matter how much he loved himself he would always put her first, and somehow he would surprise her every time he did so. But I suppose it's different now I mean yes before when he made comments thats all it was just... a comment but not anymore she seemed so fragile like if he was to say anything to her she would break. He needed to know what was going on with her he wanted the old Pepper back.

Pepper was sat at her office she was typing away answering emails as usual, she heard a knock at the door it was Tony who elese would it be. She signalled a wave telling him to come in.

"What's wrong?", he asked rather abruptly

"I'm sorry", she said completly unaware of what he was talking about

"You have been so quiet latly i feel as though i have lost you, you can't even look at me in the eyes anymore. Have I done something wrong? Of course I have why else would you be so sad and mad at me.

"Have you ever considered I have more imprtant things to get upset about than you", her words left a bitter taste in her mouth of course she wasn't mad at him she just didn't want to talk about it.

"Look either you tell me whats wrong, or you can just sit there like a stubbern child. I am just trying to make you feel better", you could tell his words left a sting at Pepper. Tony began walking away until he heard it, the words he never heard Pepper Potts say before.

"I'm sorry", he walked over to her and took her hands in his.

"Tell me what's wrong", her eyes started to well up as tears began falling from her face he quickly wiped them away with his thumb. "Look come on now Pepper whatever is wrong you can tell me."

"Its just when I was younger my mother sh-ss-she used t-t-to" She tried to spit out her words she really did but every time she tried more teards fell from her face. Tony grabbed her into a long and meaningful hug his arms wrapt around her waist never wanting to let go of her. he pulled away lookd in to her eyes and simply said

"It's okay come on get it together Potts you can tell me anything." Pepper wiped the last of the tears away and brcaed herself for what she was about to tell Tony.

"My mother she- when I was younger she beat me" Tony stared at her in shock why would anyone ever want to hurt her. As Pepper started to mcry again tony just embraced her in another hug whispering soothing and calming words in her ear.

"Have you ever told anyone else about this Pepper?", he could see the desperation hidden in those now dark blue eyes as she nodded her head.

"That's not all, she keeps on telling me that shes changed and she is coming to find me. She says she wants to make things better, but I don't ever want to see her again. Tony I just can't face her, i just can't." The tears were now streaming down her face and all Tony could do was hold her and wait until she stopped

"Pepper, what was the worst thing she did to you." Pepper slowly got up and lifted her blouse up showing Tony the side of her ribcage as he looked he saw the black and purple all around it.

"Pepper this looks freash when did she hurt you, Pepper tell me"

"She found me a few days ago i tried to runaway when I saw her but she caught me"

"I'm sorry sir to interupt you put it appears someone is at the front gates" Jarvis spoke a crisp British accent

"Who is it Jarvis"

"I do not know sir she appears rather mad and is shouting for Miss Potts it would appear she is threatening her sir"

"NO IT'S HER SHES FOUND ME SHE'S GOING TO KILL ME SHE SIAD SHE WOULD WHEN SHE FINDS ME SHE WOULD KILL ME", she said this screaming into Tony's should what was now damp because of the tears that had been streaming down her face.

"Stay hear Pepper i will get rid of her don't worry she wont hurt you"

"Promise" she said with a hint of hope in her voice

"I promise", Tony left Pepper in her office as he walked down the stairs all he could think about was that bruise on her ribs and that fact that her own mothjer had done it. He was shocked that anyone would ever want to hurt her. As he made his way downstairs he saw the evil bitch looking at him through the glass doors, she looked nothing like Pepper her mother had brown hair and green eyes but he could not work out how someone as caring and loving as Pepper had come from this evil person. When he reaxhed the doors all he wanted to do was shout but he had to try and keep his cool.

"Can I help you with something", his voice was cold and steady

"Where is she", she demanded

"Who"

"That bitch Verginia"

"I'm sorry put she is currently unavailable would you like me to take a messege?"

"Just tell her to watch her back", she walked away and Tony juat wanted to charge at her but instead he closed the door put the house on lockdown and went to go to see Pepper who was upstairs shaking uncontroably as she was living through it again thinking back to every beating every time that her fist hit her.

"Hey,hey,hey come on now potts pull it together it kills me to see you sad"

"Ton-y could I please stay hear for a few days i don't want to be alone"

He just gave her and said

"Of course Potts anything for you", he siad this hugging her he gave her a quick kiss on top of her head whilst swaying her side to side.

"I promise no one is ever going to hurt you ever again, do you understand me no one not on my watch"

For the most of the day Tony was just there to comfert her until he asked that question she had been dreding ever since she had told him.

"Pepper tell me what she did to you, please I have to know"

"Well it started when I was 4 I did not kniow what I was doing was wrong, I tried to be a good girl but she kept shouting at me and she lost her temper and afterwards she left me in my room on my own and she seemed happier and she started doing it on a rehualr basis. It was like I was her perfect little punching bag anytime she was mad she would just take it out on me. You see me dad was in the army so he wasnt around much and I was an only child so it kjust got worse from their."

"What did she do to you" He asked this scared at what the anwer might be, he was still holding her as she had started sobbing again he felt like every tear was burning his soul.

"She broke me bones, cracked my ribs, make me bleed, burn me. I remember once she took me to the hospital because i didn't wake up and no kne asked how ity happened because she was my mother and so being the female she couldn't lay a finger on me. On the surafce she seemed loving but she wasn't" She began scriking like mad niw screaming at the top of her lungs as she rememberd it all he just waited until she cried herslef to sleep in a ball and he carefully carried her up to his bedroom and laid her on his bed and sat next to her and he just could not even try to understand why she had done that.

'How could she do that to her why would you want to. Pepper was a beautiful human being who never cared about herself it was always other people I kjust can't bear to think whaty she must have gone through. She was 4 when her own mither cracked her rib and broke her bones'. Thinking about this made his stomach twist. He kissed Pepper on the check then went down to the workshop.

"Jarivis pull up Miss Potts medical file from the age of four would you"

"Certainly Sir", as the icons moved around the screen he saw pictures and X-rays of her broken body he was brought out of his daze when a droplet of water hit his hand because he was crying it killed him seeing her like this. He wanted to kill the woman responsable or doing this, but something about her being a woman stopped him but he knew she needed to be punished.

He walked upstairs to see Pepper curled in a ball on his bed he took this time to look at every single detail on her face the freakles on her face and her cherry coloured lips. But he was looking at her red eyes as they opened to meet his eyes.

"I need you" He said

"I need you too" She whispered as he climbed into bed next to her wraping his arm around her waist holding her tighly. "It hurt... when she did those things to me"

"I know" he knew he had to fix this and he knew exaclty how to.


End file.
